Neeraj Chopra will be training for a period of 31 days in Potchefstroom to eye on the next season, which includes the World Athletics Championship in September 2025 in Tokyo.
India’s Neeraj Chopra competes in the men’s javelin throw event at the “Athletissima” Diamond League athletics meeting. (Photo-Getty)
New Delhi: Ace Indian athlete Neeraj Chopra is scheduled to travel to South Africa later in the month to begin his off-season training for next year. The two-time Olympic medallist will start his preparations for the next season, as revealed by the Sports Ministry of India.
Neeraj will be training for a period of 31 days in Potchefstroom to eye on the next season, which includes the World Athletics Championship in September 2025 in Tokyo. This isn’t an unknown venue for the 26-year-old as he has trained here before his major events, including the Tokyo and Paris editions of the Olympic Games. The entire training cost will be taken care by the Sports Ministry.
“(He) will start his training early and will be in Potchefstroom for a period of 31 days,” the ministry said in a statement on Friday.
“Neeraj’s training session will be funded by Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) and the expenditure will cover his and his Physiotherapist’s lodging, boarding and training cost for the period of his stay in South Africa,” the statement further read.
Chopra claimed silver medal at the Paris Olympics 2024 and finished second at the Diamond League Finals in Brussels. He endured an adductor muscle injury for the major part of the previous season yet managed to remain in the top 2 places in all the competitions he participated. His left hand was also fractured during the two prestigious events.
Chopra had last year contemplated to undergo a surgery to overcome his adductor muscle injury, but later in the year, in an interaction with news agency PTI, the world champion ruled out the possibility of a surgery.
“It was an injury-plagued year but injury is fine now, I will be 100 per cent fit for the new season,” he had said, as quoted by PTI.
Neeraj Chopra in look for a new coach
Neeraj Chopra’s association with German-based coach Klaus Bartonietz has come to an end after five years. The 75-year-old coach, who first joined the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) in 2019 as a biomechanical expert, decided not to renew his contract as Chopra’s coach to spend some quality time with his family.
Neeraj won two Olympic medals – goal in Tokyo and silver in Paris – and became world champion in 2023 in Budapest, Hungary. He also defended his Asian Games gold medal under the watch of Bartonietz. There has been no confirmation on who will be the next coach of the Indian athlete, although the AFI is looking for a suitable candidate to help the Haryana-based sportsperson to extend his phenomenal run at the global stage.
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